People often ask me how I manage to paint with the tremors of Parkinson’s Disease. While shaking hands are great for mixing martinis or shaking cans of paint, they aren’t ideal for drawing or painting.
Over the last few years I have developed a number of different tricks to help. By modifying some artists tools and techniques I have made it easier for me to handle a brush or pencil and made it more comfortable for me to work.
If you are really inspired to do something, you shouldn’t let anything stop you. There is always a way to do what you are meant to do.
Here are some of the ways I have modified my tools and environment to make it easier to paint and draw. It’s not perfect but it helps.
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How I Modify My Studio
I have arranged my studio so that the materials I need are easily accessible. I never need to over extend to grab a brush or tube of paint. Which is a good thing because my lack of balance totally rules out any career as a tight rope walker.
My chair has ample back support and can be raised or lowered as needed. It is actually a bar stool but it is very comfortable and adjustable.
The chair I use at my drawing table is a very comfortable office chair. It has great back support and can be raised or lowered depending on how my muscles are feeling.
The water bucket I use stands inside an aluminum pie plate to minimize sloshing onto my work surface. It is a 2 well bucket so I don’t have to go get fresh water as often.
I have an adjustable table top easel that allows me to rest my arms on my painting bench for support or on the easel itself. I can stand to paint if I am having a good day or sit in my adjustable bar stool.
For drawing I use a small drafting table that I can adjust and tilt as needed. I sometimes use this for painting as well.
It has holes to hold the pencils and other tools as well as drawers to keep my pencils and paper in so everything is handy.
It would probably be easier to paint or draw on a flat surface, but looking down makes me dizzy and causes some problems with my vision. A tilted surface is much more comfortable and easier on my neck and shoulders.
How I Modify My Artist Tools
To help steady my trembling hands, I have modified an artists mahl stick. A mahl stick is a thin stick about three feet long. It is covered with a ball shaped pad at one end.
The artist holds the stick in one hand and gently lays it against the painting. The painting hand rests on the stick to steady the hand and prevent fatigue.
In my case, because my head and hands shake, I have had to make my own version of a mahl stick. I use a stick about four and a half feet long with a tennis ball on the end.
The ball is covered with a piece of leather chamois to protect the painting surface. I can then brace the stick between my knees or feet depending on how I am sitting or standing at my easel.
It is a great steadying tool for my hand…..or a magic orb wand for my grandson. 😛
Drawing Straight Lines
The tremors in my hands also make drawing or painting straight lines a challenge. I use a ruler with a foam backing to draw straight lines. The foam backing keeps the ruler from slipping when my hand shakes or decides to jerk.
A T- square is better for painting since the top of the ruler can be braced on the top of the canvas.
This doesn’t always work so I make sure to keep several different sizes of erasers handy when drawing as well as a damp cloth for wiping painting mistakes and the mess I make when I drop a fully loaded paint brush.
The challenges will increase as my disease progresses, but I always find an adaptation. It can be frustrating and some days I just can’t create anything but a mess.
However, for the most part I enjoy the challenge of finding a new way to do the things I love.
Have you found other ways to adapt to your challenges? I would love to hear about them.
Thanks for reading.
PD-5 programme from binehealthcenter. com has done wonders for me. I even learned a few simple exercises I do daily to keep my back from hurting. It didn’t take very long before I started to get relief.
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My husband was diagnosed of Parkinsons disease 2 years ago, when he was 59. He had a stooped posture, tremors, right arm does not move and also a pulsating feeling in his body. He was placed on Senemet for 8 months and then Siferol was introduced and replaced the Senemet, during this time span he was also diagnosed with dementia. He started having hallucinations, lost touch with reality. Suspecting it was the medication I took him off the Siferol (with the doctor’s knowledge) and started him on PD natural herbal formula we ordered from TREE OF LIFE HEALTH CLINIC, his symptoms totally declined over a 3 weeks use of the TREE OF LIFE HEALTH Parkinson’s disease natural herbal formula. He is now almost 61 and doing very well, the disease is totally reversed! (www.treeoflifeherbalclinic.com)
In February last year, out of nowhere, my eyes became light sensitive, had slurred speech and I was diagnosed of PARKINSON DISEASE. I started out taking only Azilect, then Mirapex and sinemet as the disease progressed but didn’t help much. In July, I started on PARKINSON DISEASE TREATMENT PROTOCOL from Mayaka Natural Clinic (ww w. mayakanaturalclinic. c om). One month into the treatment, I made a significant recovery, almost all my symptoms were gone. Its been 6 months since I completed the treatment, I live a better life..
I agree with Marilyn, the tremors can be disrupting, I have in the past used them to help distribute masking fluid, and paint to produce a totally abstract painting.
I agree the tremors can be disrupting, I have in the past used them to help distribute masking fluid, and paint to produce a totally abstract painting.
I was introduced to HERBAL HEALTH POINT and their effective PD treatment protocol in February last year. I immediately started on the herbal treatment, it relieved my symptoms significantly. Go to ww w. herbalhealthpoint. c om. First month on the treatment, my tremors and muscle spasm mysterious stopped, had improvement walking. Since treatment, I have been symptom free and life is really good
You have inspired me marylin To carry on painting I don’t have. Parkinson’s but j jerky hands my painting involve lots of straight lines I’ll have to change my stile I am a former decorator used to large scale work I try to use large canvases as detail is larger